Hotel review: Hemingways Watamu with kids, Kenya

When you think of family holidays in Kenya, it’s probably safari which first springs to mind – but as I discovered during my stay at Hemingways Watamu with kids, there’s more than wildlife to tempt you to book a trip to East Africa.

review stay*

Set right on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, Hemingways Watamu makes a perfect end to a trip if you’ve been on safari though – a chilled-out end after the early morning game drives, with a mix of boat trips, ocean conservation projects, turtles and time by the pool.

The same five-star rating as the other properties in the collection, it’s the most obviously family-friendly of the hotels – but if you’re considering booking a stay at Hemingways Watamu with kids, here’s all you need to know first, with my review.

Hemingways Watamu review: vital statistics

The hotel is part of the Hemingways Collection, currently a set of four properties across Kenya – we also stayed at Hemingways Nairobi for our first night in Kenya (plus lunch at the smaller Hemingways Eden), then Hemingways Ol Seki in the Naboisho Conservancy, part of the Masai Mara reserve.

There are 39 rooms, including 13 Deluxe Ocean View Rooms on the top floor, and 26 Ocean View Rooms on the ground and first floors. There are also the Residences, in a separate block – luxury apartments with one, two and four bedrooms, which also have their own kitchens, but also have access to all the hotel facilities.

That includes a restaurant, bar, cafe and spa, as well as two pools, plus an activity centre to book trips, while the hotel is also right on the beach.

The area is protected as part of the Watamu Marine National Park, one of the best places to dive and snorkel on the coast of Africa, with whale sharks, manta rays and three species of turtles to be seen at some times of the year.

Watamu is one of the quieter resorts along the Indian Ocean coast, certainly compared to others like Diani Beach. Hemingways Watamu is slightly outside the village itself, although it’s easy enough to get there if you want to, as well as to explore the area on tours.

Malindi airport is the closest, around a half-hour drive from Hemingways Watamu, which is a bonus for families. Otherwise, you can fly into Mombasa which is around a two-hour journey by car. There are no direct flights from the UK to Mombasa at present, although you can travel via other European airports or via Nairobi.

Kenya has two separate rainy seasons – the longer rains in April and May, then the shorter rains of October and November. July and August tend to be cooler, but the northeast breeze blowing from December to February results in warmer, calm seas, before the hottest temperatures of March.

For more of my tips for visiting Kenya with kids, check out all my advice for a family holiday

Hemingways Watamu with kids

Beach, pool and an endless array of treats always gets my daughter’s vote when it comes to a holiday – and to be fair, they’re all high on my own wishlist.

And a stay at Hemingways Watamu feels as much an indulgent treat for adults as it does for kids, plenty of luxury but with a laid-back feel, and plenty to remind you that you’re still in Africa – not least the bright yellow weaver birds squabbling as they built their nests in a tree near our room.

Staying in one of the Deluxe Ocean View Rooms, our room had two four-poster double beds, complete with floaty mosquito nets to keep out any unwelcome company at night. As well as being practical, there’s always something rather special about pulling the nets around you, rather than just slipping under the sheets.

The Ocean View rooms on the lower floors are similarly spacious, although with standard doubles and a simpler bathroom – on the plus side, fewer stairs and you can walk out almost onto the beach, with a grassy area and terrace on the ground floor.

All the other rooms have their own balcony, with those fabulous views of the Indian Ocean – always a great way to start the day, by pulling back the curtains and looking out to turquoise sea and powder white sand. There’s a flatscreen TV in the room too, but with views like that, who needs the telly?

Our bathroom was equally lavish – double sinks, plenty of space to leave out all your toiletries, a big walk-in shower and some lovely complimentary toiletries too.

There’s a big focus on sustainability here, from glass bottles for water in the rooms and restaurant, to solar power, bulbs designed to reduce light pollution and more.

The hotel isn’t huge, so no matter which room you’re in, you’re never too far from the various facilities either, including a small spa, which also offers some treatments suitable for kids.

My daughter was far more focused on the pools though – as well as the bigger main saltwater pool, there’s a smaller quiet pool, which quickly became our favourite.

There are no games allowed here, so the main pool is better for younger kids, but it’s fine for older children to swim here as long as they don’t disturb anyone – my 10-year-old happily switched between practising underwater handstands and relaxing on one of the loungers next to me.

In the centre is the main restaurant – there’s also a coffee shop and bar next to it if you fancy a snack outside mealtimes, but the impressive array of food meant we never went hungry. In fact, at breakfast, there was simply so much choice that the different food stations lined the path next to the bar as well.

Even with a very particular eater, there was always plenty that she wanted to eat too, and having the buffet made it easy to choose, without losing any quality – everything we had was delicious, and by the end of the first meal, we seemed to have got to know half the lovely staff who quickly greeted us like old friends.

While there are indoor tables as well, we never seemed to struggle to get one outdoors, enjoying the breeze off the ocean and looking out to the sea – or after sunset, to the illuminated palm trees and enjoying the shusssssh of the waves.

And it couldn’t be easier to head down to the beach either, with steps leading right from the hotel onto the sand. With temperatures in the mid 30s in February, it was blissful to swim, as well as snorkel.

Head down at high tide, and there’s enough water to snorkel right next to the shore – even kids can do it without going remotely out of their depth.

Floating about in the shallows, we spotted a couple of blue-spotted ribbontail rays gliding through the water, as well as a lionfish swimming past the reef, alongisde the technicolour swirl of reef fish.

At low tide, the water retreats to reveal a series of rockpools – a couple of locals guided us (take some cash for a tip), pointing out an octopus sliding tentacle by tentacle into the sea, a startled puffer fish, a family of feisty moray eels, countless crabs and sea stars, as we walked carefully over the rocks.

Having this on your doorstep puts even the loveliest pool in the shade!

Things to do at Hemingways Watamu with kids

While the pool and beach will keep everyone entertained for days, there are plenty of other activities you can try, including watersports and day trips, which you can book through the hotel’s activity centre.

Dolphin spotting and snorkelling boat trip

If you want to snorkel properly, with a marine national park and reserve just off the beach, it couldn’t be much easier to discover what lies beneath the waves.

Board one of the string of brightly coloured little boats, and you can see dolphins galore, with pods of both bottlenose and humpback dolphins living in the seas here. Most tours, like ours, then cruise off to the coral reefs elsewhere in the marine reserve so you can snorkel.

It’s worth knowing that the current can be quite strong, although everyone has life jackets. It’s also well worth getting the earliest boat trip you can, as it can get crowded later in the day.

Sunset dhow cruise

Head out at sunset for a dhow cruise, sailing along the water past the mangroves with a drink in hand as the sun gradually sets – spotting birds hovering above the trees and enjoying the peace of the creek is incredible relaxing.

There are projects to replant the mangroves lining the banks of the creek in this protected reserve, and you can also kayak through them if you fancy a more active way of exploring.

Watamu Turtle Watch turtle sanctuary

Replanting the mangroves is not the only conservation project in Watamu. The local turtle sanctuary is unmissable with kids; Watamu Turtle Watch is part of the Local Ocean Conservation Trust, one of a string of projects in coastal communities helping protect the local marine life.

As well as an small educational centre helping both locals and tourists learn more about the turtles which swim off the coast and lay their eggs on the beaches, they work with local fishermen to help treat sick and injured turtles before releasing them back into the sea.

So not only can you learn lots about the different types of turtle which live in this part of Kenya, there’s plenty of information about sustainability and how everyone can make a difference in helping to protect them, alongside some eye-catching art made from plastic waste.

Happily, there aren’t always turtles in the sanctuary when you visit, although you can also leave your phone number for them to call if any are rescued before the end of your stay.

EcoWorld Watamu

Hemingways Watamu is also a big supporter of another local initiative that’s well worth visiting, EcoWorld Watamu.

After starting out with a simple beach clean, it’s grown to provide jobs for the local community dealing with some of the area’s plastic pollution, as well as projects helping locals turn their trash into cash.

But that’s only the start. As well as educational programmes in school, there are some creative new approaches to the problem of plastic waste, such as recycling it into bricks which can be used to build a house in two days.

As you walk in, you’re confronted with towering heaps of plastic which are a stark reminder of the scale of the issue; you might think that visiting a plastic recycling initiative on holiday isn’t an obvious choice but it’s a really inspirational place and a great way to get kids engaged.

Hemingways Watamu review: the verdict

Watamu means “home of the sweet people” in Swahili, and it seems the perfect verdict on this lovely place. Not only were all the staff so friendly and welcoming, everyone we met seemed determined to ensure we experienced their wonderful country and enjoyed every minute of it.

And Hemingways Watamu is an equally sweet treat – plenty of five-star luxury for adults, lots of fun for kids, all against that gorgeous tropical background. While we managed to do plenty in our few days by the coast, it seems impossible not to relax while you’re there.

The ultimate chilled-out indulgence to set the seal on a fantastic family holiday in Kenya.

Disclosure: My stay at Hemingways Watamu with kids was courtesy of the hotel as part of a press trip, including flight support from Far & Wild. All opinions remain my own. 

Images copyright MummyTravels

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